Your thigh is made up of many large muscles like quadriceps etc. These muscles help in locomotion and body movement. If these muscles are bruised then you will experience problems in many body functions like walking or running. If your thigh muscles get hit too hard then it causes bruising. Bruised thigh muscles cause lots of pain. While it can’t lead to any serious long term problem, don’t take it easy. You can heal it with proper treatment and rest in a few weeks.
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Diagnosis and Treatment:
- Complete Rest and avoid activities that may cause pain: If you have bruised thigh muscles then you should avoid doing hard exercises or any type of activities because it will cause pain and make you uncomfortable. If you want to heal it then rest as much as you can. Relax your muscles and body to heal from bruises easily as soon as possible. If you continue to work or do hard activities then you’ll make your injury worse and more painful. Take a break from your work and get a complete rest at home.
- To reduce swelling, Wrap your thigh with a bandage: Bruised thighs cause swelling in your muscles which is very painful for you. Swelling in thigh muscle is a common symptom of bruised thigh muscles. You can use elastic bandage to reduce swelling in your thigh. Wrap bandage around your thigh loosely, not too tight to decrease swelling. Tight wrap may increase swelling in your thigh muscles because it will restrict blood circulation.
- Ice the area: If you feel pain and become uncomfortable while using elastic bandage to heal bruised thigh muscles then you can also opt icing method to treat it. Icing is more effective to treat bruising. Place thin cloth on your affected area to cover your skin. Place an ice bag or cold pack on the injured area for at least 20 minutes. Then remove it and wait for 2 hours to place it again to prevent any serious nerve damage. Icing the injured area every 2 hours for at least 20 minutes to reduce pain and swelling in your thigh. Follow this routine for the first 2 to 3 days.
- To sit or lie down try to Prop your leg up on a pillow: Try to keep your affected thigh above your heart level. It will increase blood flow and help to heal swelling. Whenever you sit or lie down on the couch or bed, putting some pillows beneath your leg to elevate your thigh makes you comfortable.
- Do not massaging the bruise unless your doctor says to: Avoid massaging your bruised thigh without the doctor’s suggestion. Massaging your bruised thigh will dislodge a blood clot and cause other damages. Don’t rub or massage the affected area without consulting the doctor.
- Use crutches or pain medication on recommendation of your doctor: If you’re experiencing pain and swelling in your bruised thigh then consult with the doctor. If your pain is unbearable then the doctor will recommend you over the counter painkillers such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce pain. If you have swelling then you can take anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling. If your bruised thigh becomes more severe and can’t stand or walk properly then the doctor may recommend you to use crutches. Crutches will help you to walk or stand proper and balanced. Crutches will reduce pressure and stress on your thigh muscles will help to heal it faster. These medications give you relief from pain.
- To promote healing increase intake of nutritious foods: You want to heal bruised thighs then you should also take care of your diet. Eat a proper balanced and nutritious diet that will help you to heal pain and swelling in your thigh. Eat vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, or oranges in your meals daily. You can also take zinc rich foods like whole grains and zinc rich proteins such as eggs, dairy, or seafood. Zinc helps to heal your bruised thigh faster. Protein is also beneficial for your muscle strength. You can also take supplements of all these minerals to treat bruised thighs. But you should consult with the doctor before taking these supplements. Dehydration will also make your bruised thigh worse. Make sure to drink plenty of water daily to stay hydrated which plays an important role in the healing process. Diabetes or high glucose levels in your body increase bruised thigh muscle pain. Keep your sugar level low by taking low glycemic foods in your diet such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and peas and beans.
2. Prevention:
- During sports wear a thigh sleeve or protective padding: If you’re a sportsman then you should protect your thigh to get hit from any object. If your thigh gets hit and damages your thigh muscles will cause bruising. So, protect your thigh from bruising by wearing a thigh sleeve or protective padding while playing any sports or doing any activity.
- Before exercising or playing sports you must Stretch your quads: Warming up your body, especially muscles, is necessary before playing any sports or exercise. To prevent bruised thigh muscles, improve muscle strength by stretching your thigh muscles i.e quadriceps. First walk or cycle for 5 minutes then stretch your quads by pulling 1 foot from heel towards your hands towards your hips. Hold it for 20 to 30 seconds and then repeat it on your other leg. Stretch your thigh muscles once a day before doing exercise or playing any sports.
- Strengthen your quad muscles so they’re more resilient: Make your quads more strong and bigger so that they bear and deal with any hard hit. Strengthen your thigh muscles to prevent bruising. Strengthen your quads with exercises and workout like forward lunges, squats, and leg presses. Do 3 sets with 10 to 15 reps of these exercises to build quads more strong and bigger.
- While playing contact sports try to follow the rules of the game: Protection of your thigh muscles is very important to prevent bruising. If you play any game or sports wear thigh protection and follow the game rules to protect your body from any injury. If you don’t follow the game’s rules then you likely get a hard hit on your thigh which causes bruised thigh muscles. stay tuned for more updates.